


Rain

by Classic_Rocker2000



Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Angst, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Just a smidge of Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sharing an umbrella, downer ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:34:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25942927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Classic_Rocker2000/pseuds/Classic_Rocker2000
Summary: John and Brian meet walking along the road to the studio one rainy day, and only one of them remembered an umbrella.
Relationships: Brian Epstein/John Lennon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	Rain

John wasn’t normally one to run and hide his head when the rain came, but on this particular day, he chose to bring an umbrella with him anyway. He didn’t even have a rhyme or reason for it. Maybe Cyn had fretted over the idea of him not bringing one, maybe he’d just decided on his own terms. Either way, he carried one on his person this time.

If anyone was more likely to bring an umbrella, it was Paul or Eppy.

And speaking of, John could see Brian just across the street, huddling from the rain as much as he could in the collar of his coat. This struck John as odd, seeing as Brian was normally the one who’d pester John if they crossed paths on a rainy day.

John knew he had a terrible track record with being respectful to people. He’d regretted too many of his decisions and been lectured by too many people too many times to keep track. But even so, he wasn’t about to let his manager just stand there getting soaked.

Waiting for a car to pass, John hurriedly crossed the street. Brian hadn’t seen him, but John could see that Eppy had prominent bags under his eyes. Realizing that Brian had possibly overslept on top of not getting enough sleep, John figured that Eppy had just hurried out the door and completely forgotten his umbrella.

Seeing as they were heading towards the same place anyway, John moved to stand next to Brian, who was rather dejectedly waiting for another car to pass by and held his umbrella over both their heads.

Brushing a curl out of his face, Brian finally looked up a bit and turned his head to look at John. A heavy silence hung in the air between them. John couldn’t remember the last time they had been like this. Spain, perhaps, but not often in the two years since then.

Then, quietly, Brian asked, “John?”

“Hey, Bri,” John replied.

John was tempted to put an arm around Eppy’s waist, maybe kiss him, perhaps, but he knew the laws as well as Brian did. Silently, he wondered if this was how Eppy felt around him, but John kept it to himself, knowing what could happen if anyone overheard.

As they crossed the street, Brian remained quiet. John suddenly realized that Eppy had split lips and guessed that the night before hadn’t been kind to him. He wanted to say something, but knew it’d probably come off as crass, and for once, John didn’t feel like being crass about it.

Brian was the one who finally spoke, “I can’t believe you actually remembered that.”

“I can’t believe _you_ forgot one.”

Brian gave a shrug. “I didn’t sleep well last night…”

It wasn’t hard for John to guess what had happened. He said, allowing himself to be vulnerable just this once, “Y’know, you deserve to be treated better than you are.”

Brian gave him a sceptical look, but otherwise said nothing. John could just tell that Brian hated himself, not the least of which for being queer in this day and age, and John hated himself that he couldn’t just think of something to say. To find some way to tell Eppy that he didn’t have to be scared all the time when the truth was, they both had every reason to be terrified out of their bloody wits.

And then suddenly, it came out, “You ever think about that trip we took to Spain?”

Brian shot a glance at him, wide-eyed, mouth slightly parted. But then, as he looked at the sidewalk ahead of him, the ghost of a smile crossed his lips, and he said, “Yes. I do every now and again.”

Another quick silence hung in the air, before John admitted, “Y’know, sometimes, I wish we’d never left.”

Brian shot him another look. “Surely, you’re not serious-”

“I am.”

John may not have been able to declare his love for Brian, especially given the fact that anyone could overhear that, but this was as close as he could get. Besides, part of John could still remember that one night of passion they’d shared in Spain. It was something they daren’t try to repeat in London, given the constant threat of police hanging over their heads.

An awkward silence hung over the air, before Brian said, “John… I don’t know what to say…”

John nodded glumly. Part of him wondered if this would always be the situation between the two of them: always dancing around their feelings for each other, but unable to be together, all thanks to a stupid set of laws.

For the next several minutes, they both made their way through the pouring rain, neither one knowing how to make conversation, and especially not how to deal with their feelings towards the other.  
John didn’t notice Brian glancing around, as if making sure no one was watching. But then, he felt Eppy’s hand wrap around the umbrella, and by extension, John’s hand. John’s head turned towards Eppy in shock, but Brian only gave him the briefest of glances. With a small, tired smile, he said, “It’s only until we get to the studio, alright?”

John was a bit taken aback at Eppy’s one, rare moment of indiscretion, but he figured that, if anyone asked, he’d probably be able to pass it off as something platonic.

And so, the two walked along, hand in hand, coming as close as John ever thought they would to a resolution to their relationship. _Maybe someday,_ he thought, _we’ll see more enlightened times._

But John shook the thought off. He didn’t think things would ever change, and especially not any time soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, Jojo again. Sorry that this isn't an update of Just Like Starting Over. I've had a bit of a block on the second chapter, but I'm currently trying to get that up by the end of the month. In the meantime, I hope that John and Eppy aren't too out of character here, and comments and kudos are appreciated :3


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